Happy New Decade @sbbuzzers! Welcome to 2010. We spent last week’s chat laying out a roadmap for small business for the next year. We got some good ideas (and some interruptions by Twitter). We’d like to hear your thoughts. What would you include in a roadmap for small businesses this year?
Want to join the next @sbbuzz chat? Join us Tuesday, January 12, 2010.
- We’re on every Tuesday from 8-9 pm EST.
- You can read the instructions on how to participate here: http://sbbuzz.biz/instructions
- Invite others to join in, help them get started. We started this chat to facilitate conversation between small biz owners.
| sbbuzz: | Happy decade & welcome to #sbbuzz, a Tweetchat for the next hour. Join us! http://sbbuzz.biz/instructions #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | Rules: 1)NO pitching till end 2)Be nice 3)Stay ON TOPIC! 4)Send ?s for group to me w/o hashtag 5)Use #sbbuzz in messages 6)Have fun #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | Start off w/an INTRO: 1 message about you and your business and whatever else we need to know. #sbbuzz #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | @Timberry oh rats – well hi to the family! we’ll miss you (and might hit you up for advice later)  #sbbuzz |
| lindadessau: | Hi #sbbuzz! I help coaches and other small biz owners write content for newsletters, blogs and article sites. #sbbuzz |
| scoblitz: | @sbbuzz Hi All – Scott from eSeMBe – I rushed home to be here with you all. Am I late? #sbbuzz |
| lindadessau: | @scoblitz Glad to hear I’m not the only one who plans my Tuesdays around this awesome chat  #sbbuzz |
| selahsynergy: | Happy 2010 ! Susan from Selah Synergy here excited to discuss the new year. #sbbuzz |
| MHBoys: | Hello, Michael here with On-Site Technical Solutions – support SMB technology. Did it hit 80 today? #sbbuzz |
| ginabee: | Hi everyone, Gina with http://www.writeytidy.com. Glad to join you all in the New Year! #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | Happy New Year! Hope you all had a relaxing holiday. Missed you guys/gals! #sbbuzz #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | Tonight we’re talking plans for a 2010 Roadmap to Success yearlong project for planning and documenting small business success #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | The idea is to work as a group to outline and then document a step by step roadmap to success – innovative ideas needed! #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | Q1 What topics would you include if drawing a map for a new business owner from start-up to success? #sbbuzz |
| scoblitz: | @sbbuzz Q1 Do you mean things like funding, marketing, finding first client etc? #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | And FYI – if want to see the lady behind the bee check out @pmohara. I’m on the backup machine tonight – different OS is killing me #sbbuzz |
| selahsynergy: | @sbbuzz Q1 A destination is required. A vision. #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | Yes, exactly! RT @scoblitz: @sbbuzz Q1 Do you mean things like funding, marketing, finding first client etc? #sbbuzz |
| lindadessau: | Q1 Start-up success necessities: Profile of your ideal client and a list of their most pressing problems #sbbuzz |
| bradfordshimp: | Business plan, marketing and sales systems, business systems, collaboration #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | @sbbuzz You’ll love it eventually. We podcasted about it today on http://bit.ly/3ih1ct #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | Plan is a new topic each month, set goals for ourselves, document progress and leave breadcrumbs for those following behind #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | Q1: Guts, a sense of humor and the smarts to know when to ignore people who tell you it can’t be done. Do it anyway! #sbbuzz |
| scoblitz: | @selahsynergy Absolutely – the destination is key – but it’s all the stops along the way make the trip so much fun. #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | Q1: A good website is very essential. ; ) #sbbuzz |
| ginabee: | Q1: Choose a niche & try not to be distracted by other shiny things. Not to be inflexible, but try to stay on your own track. #sbbuzz |
| scoblitz: | @sbbuzz Looks like TweetChat is lagging behind #sbbuzz |
| MHBoys: | Q1 assuming a business plan/vision, a marketing/sales plan regularly updated seems to be missing from many SMB #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | Q2 What is the best way to present or communicate a business roadmap to a new business? (geeky ideas welcome!) #sbbuzz |
| selahsynergy: | @scoblitz So, so true. It is the process, the journey, the mileposts that brings the vision to life. #sbbuzz |
| bradfordshimp: | Q2 – I think in some kind of workbook, step by step fashion, with checklists #sbbuzz |
| scoblitz: | @sbbuzz Q2 I’ve been doing some mind-mapping the last month or so – can be very helpful to see things laid out graphically #sbbuzz |
| Chris_Hendricks: | Q2 What is the best way to present or communicate a business roadmap to a new business? (geeky ideas welcome!) #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | Any other ideas – a project website, a video series, on-demand podcasts? Brainstorm away! #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | @sbbuzz All of the above. I think we can all do this. We’re already doing stuff like this on http://bit.ly/ikLiA #sbbuzz |
| selahsynergy: | @sbbuzz Q2 I prefer a Quarterly (3-5 yr) or Monthly (12-18 month) timeline – tool can be simple as spreadsheet, complex as PM softwr #sbbuzz |
| TNSinc: | #sbbuzz Q2 I Think Mind maps maybe a little buzzy right now, but I love them. |
| MHBoys: | we use a customer solutions roadmap for internally – spreadsheet/powerpoint listing our customers and who has what solutions so far #sbbuzz |
| rongraham1: | Q1 – a well-prepared business plan should BE that roadmap the small-business owner seeks. If that owner can’t make one, we can help. #sbbuzz |
| NewBusinessHawk: | @sbbuzz #sbbuzz Remember in any presentation its better if its a show! format and style count as much as content! http://bit.ly/1YMWZs |
| sbbuzz: | Q3 – If we collectively map our success (and challenges) – any metrics we could track as a group that would help a new business? #sbbuzz |
| rongraham1: | Q2 – are we talking about presenting a roadmap to a business owner from outside the business? Somehow that doesn’t sound right. #sbbuzz |
| TNSinc: | #sbbuzz Q2: We use a 3-D pyramid for our projects, base = foundations, side 1- marketing, 2- operations, 3- transactions, 4- crm |
| rongraham1: | @sbbuzz, I just can’t get away from the business plan then. this is one of a good plan’s most critical roles. #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | @rongraham1 we’re mapping out year for ourselves (esp. those of us in charge of organizing this) & documenting journey for others #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | @rongraham1 by mapping out the year, I mean of #sbbuzz chats. So looking at topics and then how to best document them |
| sbbuzz: | Q4 Any other suggestions for capturing the brilliance of the #sbbuzz community for our fellow small biz friends? |
| rongraham1: | @sbbuzzz, OK. I must’ve mis-read that – sure looked like Q1 read different. But for what you describe, a wiki can serve there too. #sbbuzz |
| MHBoys: | what is and how to structure a workable sales/marketing plan #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | @sbbuzz Q4: There’s a map for that. Brilliance that is. #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | @sbbuzz An Sbbuzz blog where we all share our brillance. #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | @sbbuzz A Buzzup and a Ning Group for us to participate in. #sbbuzz |
| MHBoys: | to @bradfordshimp point earlier, systems available to SMBs #sbbuzz |
| leoraw: | Regarding explaining #sbbuzz – I envision the Qs in a medium gray with colorful answers of others indented below with avatars in fun format |
| rongraham1: | @lindadessau, @desireescales, there already IS an #sbbuzz blog… isn’t there? And if there is, is it not already brilliant? |
| desireescales: | @lindadessau Actually, we already have the blog set up at www.sbbuzz.biz we just need to formalize it. #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | @desireescales Awesome ideas all! #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | @rongraham1 There’s so much potential there. Right now, its one person posting our brilliance. They need to hear it from all of us! #sbbuzz |
| rongraham1: | I have been experimenting with short courses over Twitter and am encouraged by the early results. We could do that! #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | OK – I think we have some great ideas to work with. Thanks for the jam session everyone! #sbbuzz |
| lindadessau: | @rongraham1 That sounds really interesting! “Short courses over Twitter.” #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | @rongraham1 How about webinars done by one of us each month or something similar? #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | Now it’s our favorite Pitch Time. Please tell us a little about your business. #sbbuzz |
| sbbuzz: | If you’d like a once-a-week e-mail reminder of #sbbuzz w/topic sign up at http://sbbuzz.net (mailings start next week) #sbbuzz |
| rongraham1: | @desireescales, actually, the same material can of course be organized in many forms. We do a short course on Twitter, then –> FB. #sbbuzz |
| MHBoys: | On-Site Technical Solutions provides Cloud Computing solutions to SMBs (and still supports legacy technical solutions) #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | @rongraham1 Keep going….you’re on to something. #sbbuzz |
| rongraham1: | Pitch time already? Where DOES the time go? Clarity Strategic, http://claritystrategic.com/, business strategy and support. #sbbuzz |
| lindadessau: | Pitch time on #sbbuzz: How to write a top 10 article that will demonstrate your expertise to prospective customers http://snipr.com/t1pw5 |
| wvpmc: | Hoping to make http://www.wvpmc.com/facebook.php more robust in 2010 – your comments, suggestions welcome! #sbbuzz |
| pmohara: | Pamela here revealing my secret identity at the end tonight. I’m @batchblue and @sbbuzz and excited for another year with you all!! #sbbuzz |
| aneclecticsoul: | I help small biz, individuals and non-profits reach the Hispanic market in USA and Puerto RIco #sbbuzz |
| rongraham1: | Anyway, if you are on #sbbuzz and are interested in the dynamics of a short course, I will run one on “prototyping” in a few days. |
| selahsynergy: | @sbbuzz So slow tonight, I missed Q’s 3, 4 +. I will try to make sense of the chat after reading the notes. Until next week! #sbbuzz |
| hacool: | @wvpmc I just fanned you there. I think making regular posts is key. here’s mine http://bit.ly/1a0rBx #sbbuzz |
| wvpmc: | @rongraham1 using a webcam? posting on slideshare? #sbbuzz |
| pmohara: | @selahsynergy I was having the same problem. Too much technology fail for me tonight. I need chocolate! #sbbuzz |
| shashib: | #sbbuzz pitch time : Happy New year from Network Solutions & pls follow @nsoffers & check our free websites at http://bit.ly/8MVCZD |
| wvpmc: | @hacool absolutely agree – critical mass of diverse fans helps #sbbuzz |
| rongraham1: | @wvpmc, no, actually, over twitter. A course on any subject can be split into sentences. Hopefully even at below 140 characters. LOL #sbbuzz |
| hacool: | @wvpmc true, it takes awhile to build them. Another handy thing is adding FBML to make a custom tab w/ more info #sbbuzz |
| desireescales: | @wvpmc Just threw it out there. I’ll talk to @pmohara about it soon. #sbbuzz |
| aneclecticsoul: | Can u share an example? RT @scoblitz: I’ve been doing some mind-mapping the last month or so – #sbbuzz |
